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lilfatty 
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 Topic: Nappy Newbie
Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:06pm |
I'm sorry if this has been asked 1 trillion times before, but Ive read through the message board and I havent come across an answer (although lots of other great advice).
Im just wanting to know the advantages of cloth over disposables....this lil one will be my first, so Im actually looking at my budget over the time I wont be working so I thought WOW maybe cloth could be a cheaper alternative to disposables?
How many times do you change a newborn in a day? Is it a big initial outlay on the items you would require? I must say I do love those over nappy things that I have seen people post links too .... very cute!
Also, can you use ordinary washing powder, or do babies require a sensitive powder?
Any advice would be greatfully received.
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I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  LFs weight blog
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Kellz
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:17pm |
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Initially I changed Isla about 12 times a day- thats how mant times a day see did a poo, for 5 weeks. By this stage it settled down so we switched to cloth then. Were then changing her around 8 times a day. Then around 5 months old it was more like 6-8 times a day, and now 5-6 times.
We use ecostore washing powder. Its great for cloth nappys, you use less powder than regular powder and its better for you and the enviornment.
So far we have spent around $750 on cloth nappies. We have been using them full time since Isla was 5 weeks old, and she is currently on the smallest setting of the ones she wears now,...so it will be ages before we need to get a bigger size (if ever).
We initially had 6 but that was no were near enough. We saved and got another 6 after a few months, and that made it HEAPS easier, still washing each day. You will need at least 12 nappies.
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:27pm |
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Like Kellz said, you'll need about 12 nappies and naps cost around $30 each. Much much cheaper if you can sew them yourself, or get someone to sew for you - around $8 per nappy.
That said, there are cheaper options. You can buy prefolds and covers which work out much cheaper because you only need 3-4 covers (as you can just rotate and air the covers between changes) as opposed to 12 pocket nappies (which you change the whole lot each time).
The benefits are the savings you can make, I was buying about 2 packs of huggies (the only ones that didn't leak for me) per week, on special about $11, so $22.00 per week. That adds up!! In a week and a half, that's one modern cloth nappy (MCN) paid off!
You don't have to buy special powder. I used persil for ages but then Hannah developed eczema so I switched to ecostore for that reason. You just use 1/2 the normal amount of powder.
I also switched because I hated the rubbish in the house. 12 nappies per day x 7 days per week is a whooooole lotta rubbish. Personally, I preferred to just throw it all in the machine at the end of the day and it was clean again.
And added bonus is that it is better for the environment. I couldn't have given two stuffs when I first got into cloth, but now I'm much more into that side of stuff and like the choices I make to have the least impact on the environment.
Andddd cloth naps are just so CUTE!!!
Edited by nikkiwhyte
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:32pm |
Thank you both for your advice  Im probably thinking that cloth will be the way to go (and I like the good for the environment part - I should do my lil bit for the world).
Although like Kellz I might start her off in disposables until she settles down.
I was browsing through cloth nappy sites but there seems to be lots of different options, all in ones, pockets etc etc....can you tell me the which you prefer or rather what I need (not what is a cute but unneccessary item)
Oh and unfortunately I cant sew! Grrrr but I thinking nappies would make a good baby shower item.......everyone has to bring at least one 
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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Mama2two
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:47pm |
We got told not to bother with cloth until Sam was older because of the amount of nappy changes and that they may not fit properly. We had bought 300 new born nappies which lasted maybe 3 weeks (if that) and when straight to the fuzzibunz pockets from there.
She still goes through 10-12 nappies a day as she hates a wet bum (can sit in poo for hours happily  ) and we worked out that if she was in disposables and using the sangenic nappy disposal then it would be costing us around $70 a week! I went out and bought 8 small and 18 medium fuzzibunz and figured that they would have paid for themselves in under 12 weeks!
I hadn't bought many small as was told they can grow out of them fast, but Samantha is still on the smallest snap so she will be in them for ages. Only problem now is that I am addicted to cloth nappies and keep buying them!
I was initially worried about the washing aspect, but just chuck them all in the wash at the end of the day with some ecostore powder and a little bit of the dettol hygienic rinse! No problems at all 
Good on you for doing your little bit for the enviroment. The fact that you will save money on nappies and rubbish helps too
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:49pm |
 lilfatty wrote:
but I thinking nappies would make a good baby shower item.......everyone has to bring at least one |
That's what my friend did and her family bought her one each and made up her whole stash!
Hrmmm... well, my preferred system is pocket nappies, like fuzzibunz, honey child, mummy's touch, pea pods, tweedles, baby harmony.
They are easy and you can add as much absorbancy as you want or need.
For pocket nappies you just buy the pocket (which acts as both a cover and a liner) and then inserts to stuff them with for the absorbent part. You can use old fashioned cloth flats for the inserts, just fold them in a pad shape and then stuff them in.
I used cloth wipes too as Hannah seemed to react quite badly to any of the wipes out there, particularly the Johnson's ones, they even sting my face! So I bought a whole lot of flannels and they were what I washed Han's bum with.
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 2:56pm |
This might be a REALLY stupid question.....but do you empty out the poo into the bin then wash.....or is it all kind of squished in, so the whole thing goes into the wash.
Yep Im really a newbie mummy to be (Ive even asked my mum but she said that was decades ago and she cant remember)!
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:01pm |
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Bugger, should have mentioned that. These are all the things I was too scared to ask before I started!!
If you are using microfleece you can usually just roll the poos off into the toilet... though I don't think that happens with a newborn. I think with little baby poo you just scrape as much as you can in the toilet and maybe give it a blast under the tap. Some people give it a rinse cycle at the start of their washing to get rid of most of the residue.
Hope that helps!!
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Kellz
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:13pm |
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You can also get flushable liners ($10 for 100) but I found them useless for newborn poo,..it just soaked right through. We used them for a while, and you do need them if you are going to use cream on their bub, cos a lot fo the creams can make the nappys less absorbant.
We use pocket nappys, but have recently got a few All-in-ones (AIO) too. We chose pockets cos you can seperate the inners for easy drying as we didnt have a drier, and you can alter the absorbancy by adding more stuffing like for at night. We chose not to use fitted nappys. Although they come in cutey cutey desgins, they require a seperate cover.
AIO's are the easiet cos they are ready to use, you dont have a seperate cover, or have to stuff anything, but you cant alter the absorbancy, and they take longer to dry, so not so good if you dont have drier, or dont want to use it often.
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:13pm |
Yeeeeeees
Its all falling into place (I hope) Im looking at the fuzzibun things now....(very cute btw).
I see small is the "smallest" so would I be ok if I had 12 of those or should I have some mediums in case she is also a lil fatty
Oh no! Im lost again, whats a booster?
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
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Kellz
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:19pm |
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Lol a booster is likea insert, it adds extra absorbancy. I think fuzzi's are the only site that use the word booster- most just call them all inserts. Isla was in small fuzzi's from 5 weeks, til recently,...but even tho she still fitted them in the leg, the were way to small in the rise- looked like bikini briefs! We always used a fuzzi insert + booster in the day,..and 2 inserts and a booster at night.
You can get inserts from other companys that are made with hemp, or a layer of hemp and mirofibre. Microfibre absorbs more quickly, but hemp holds more. I like the ones from ecobubs. So you need a microfibre insets on top of a hemp one,..ofr one insert that has a layer of each, with the mircofibre side up!
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:22pm |
OK ... I think Im back on track now I must say there are georgeous! I love the pink and the butter and gosh all of them lol.
I will have to look into the inserts also....I best write that down, before it flies out of my head (pregnancy fog seems to be a real thing!)
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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nikkitheknitter
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:27pm |
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Hrmmmm... I sooo need to take photos of all the little bits and pieces to put on the cloth info page thingy.
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my2girls
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:28pm |
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Hey there, just putting my 10c worth in! I use Fuzzibunz and they are great, we havnt ever had a leak or anything. I didnt start using them until my daughter was 10mths (because i didnt really know about them) but i wish i had started using them earlier!! they are really easy to use.
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:29pm |
Thats a great idea! I did look for something like that ...... I did find something that explained the material and pockets and aio's etc. But nothing that helped me exactly.
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:33pm |
Can anyone tell me if the colours fade? Or if the colour runs? in the fuzzibuns?
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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my2girls
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:36pm |
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The colours have never run or faded and i wash them every day, after 7mths of using them they dont even have stains on them either!
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:37pm |
Fantastic! Thanks for that.
I was just showing the girls at work the fuzzibuns page and there all ooooing and aaaaing, I think Ive made them all clucky!
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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my2girls
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:40pm |
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i purchased mine from the USA w w w . n u r t u r e d f a m i l y. com and i found that they were alot cheaper to buy from there and get them posted over (it takes about a week) it worked out to be about $25 (NZ) per nappy including postage, and it includes the inserts, and you can get additional inserts for about $2.50.
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lilfatty
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Posted: 24 August 2007 at 3:41pm |
Hey thanks for that :) I suppose our exchange is quite high at the moment too, I will search further on the weekend.
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Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year LFs weight blog
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Nappy Newbie
